Casket handle



Dec. 29, 19,36. A. Y. STILSON CASKET HANDLE Filed March 30, 1936 45 of parts Patented Dec. 2 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASKET HANDLE Application March 30, 1936, Serial No. 71,626

7 Claims.

"This invention relates to casket handles, and more particularly to means for preventing any rattling or looseness between the arm and plate of a casket handle.

On account of the fact that casket hardware is not subject to extended use, and on account of the fact that it is very desirable that it be of attractive appearance and design, such hard- -.ware may be constructed in a relatively inex- '1 "pensive manner, providing, of course, it does not present a cheap appearance, and also providing that it will be suificiently strong and durable to serve its purpose.

, Ordinarily the handles themselves which are employed upon caskets are hinged to a plate secured to the casket body by fastening members such as screws or the like. This hinged joint between the handles and the plates is, of course, subject to very little use, and is, therefore, made up in a relatively economical manner. It sometimes occurs that there is looseness or play between these parts on account of the inexpensive way in which they are put together, and this, of course, is objectionable.

The present invention has for one of its objeots the elimination of any rattling or play between the arm and the plate of a casket handle.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means which may be readily and economically secured between the arm and plate of a casket handle to take up any looseness or play between these parts and prevent rattling thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a spring member which may be inserted between the cooperating parts of the arm and plate of a casket handle in such a manner that the spring will be tensioned between the parts when they are secured together, and thus prevent looseness or rattling between such parts.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a casket handle embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a reverse view of one of the plates Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the spring member.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown a casket handle comprising plates IQ and II adapted to be secured to a casket, to which plates are pivotally connected the arms I2 and I3 which carry at their lower ends a handle bar I 4 of the usual form.

In order to connect the arms 52 and I3 pivotally to the plates I0 and II, I have shown 10 each of the plates as provided with a relatively large opening I5 to receive the upper end of one of the arms, at which end are provided a pair of projecting lugs or fingers I6 which also extend through the opening I5. 5 Below the opening I5 the plate is providedwith two small openings I! and I8 which are adapted to receive lugs or fingers I9, also provided upon' the arm in spaced relation to the members I5.

It will be apparent that a small strip of material 2!] is left between the openings I1 and I8 and the opening I5, this strip being adapted to be received in the space between the fingers I6 and I9. After these fingers are inserted through the respective openings, the finger I9 is displaced upwardly so as to close the space between it and the finger I6 and thus embrace the strip of metal 20, as shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. It will thus be seen that the arm is by this convenient method pivotally secured to the plate, so that it may be moved from the position shown in Fig. 4, for example, to the position shown in Fig. 5.

With such a securing means there issomel danger, however, of looseness or play between the parts so that there might be a tendency for the arm to rattle at its connection with the plate. To take up any such looseness or play and prevent rattling, I have: provided a spring member so formed that it may be conveniently secured in place at the same time that the arm is secured to the plate, so that a very economical arrangement results.

This spring is shown in Fig. 6, and consists of a substantially rectangular portion 2I, the side arms of which are displaced inwardly at their lower ends, as shown at 22 and 23, and then continued downwardly in the free ends 24 and 25. When this spring is installed, as shown more particularly in Fig, 2, it will be seen that 50 the rectangular portion thereof surrounds the opening I5, and that the side portions are disposed upon the outside of the lugs I6. The inwardly offset portions 22 and 23 extend through the openings between the fingers I6 and I9, and

the free ends 24 and 25 project downwardly between the openings I1 and ill to contact with a portion of the plate. The upper end of the spring, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, also bears against a portion of the plate.

It will be understood that the spring is placed in position before the fingers I9 are closed against the fingers l6, so that the offset portions 22 and 23 will readily enter the space between these fingers. When the fingers [9 are closed upwardly, the portion of the spring adjacent the offsets 22 and 23 will be bowed inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, thus giving the spring a slight tension, so that the strips of metal 20 will be maintained in contact with the wall of the opening between the fingers l6 and I9 and prevent rattling of the parts. Also, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when the arm l2 or l3, as the case may be, is swung upwardly, the spring will be bowed or bent to a still further extent, so that there will be a tendency on the part of this spring to return the handles to the lower position. any case, however, the arms [2 will be urged into contact with the plates to which they are respectively secured, so that there will be no rattling or play between these parts. It is, of course, understood that one of the springs 2! is employed in connection with each of the; plates I and II.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A casket handle comprising a plate and an arm pivotally connected thereto and supporting a handle bar from the plate, said arm having a portion at its upper end extending through an opening in the plate, and a spring engaging said plate and the extending portion of said arm to maintain the plate and arm in snug relation against rattling.

2. A casket handle comprising a plate, anv arm pivotally connected to the plate and disposed at the front side thereof and carrying a handle bar at its lower end, said arm having a. finger extending through an opening of the plate to be disposed at the rear side thereof, and a spring on the rear side of said plate and engaging said finger to hold the arm and plate in snug relation.

3. A casket handle comprising a plate, an

arm pivotally connected to the plate and disposed at the front side thereof and carrying a handle bar at its lower end, said arm having a finger extending through an opening of the plate to be disposed at the rear side thereof, and a spring the ends of which bear against the rear surface of said plate, and being engaged at its intermediate portion with said finger to hold the arm and plate against rattling.

4. A casket handle comprising a plate having spaced openings therein, an arm disposed upon the front side of said plate and having spaced fingers extending through said openings to the rear of the plate, a spring reacting against the rear side of the. plate at its ends, and said spring having an intermediate portion engaged between said fingers of the arm to hold the arm and plate in snug relation.

5. A casket handle comprising a plate having spaced openings therein, an arm disposed upon the front side of said plate and having spaced fingers extending through said openings to the rear of the plate, a spring reacting against the rear side of the plate and having a portion extending between said fingers, and said fingers being closed together at their ends to connect the arm with the plate and secure the spring in engagement with the arm.

6. A casket handle comprising a plate having spaced openings therein, an arm adapted to be pivotally secured to the plate and having fingers extending through said openings, said fingers being closed together upon the rear of the plate to pivotally secure the arm to the plate, and a loop spring disposed upon the rear side of the plate and having its bight portions extending through the openings between said fingers, whereby the spring is held in place and engaged with the arm to hold the arm and plate in snug relation.

7. A casket handle comprising a plate having an opening therein, an arm pivotally connected to the plate and having a finger at its upper end extending through said opening to be disposed upon the rear side of the plate, and a bar supported by said arm, a spring disposed on the rear side of said plate and reacting against the ALEC Y. s'rILsoN. 

